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How to Develop Your “Future You” Mantra

A leader’s own professional development often takes a back
seat to the immediate needs of their organization and team. Yet to end up at the best possible
version of yourself, or “future you,” a deliberate, doable commitment to
learning and development is needed.

It starts with clarity about where you are heading and why. In a noisy, work-swamped world, a
simple “mantra” serves as a GPS to help stay true to the best future you, one
that you are either steering toward, or away from, every day.

What’s in a mantra?

For example, imagine a three-word mantra like: “Inspiration,
Delegation, and Organization.” Let’s say that reminds a leader to continue: 1) inspiring
their team, because it’s a needed change and a fulfilling role for them, 2) delegating
more non-value-added work to enable them to maximize revenue and economics
(both P&L, and their own earnings), and 3) hiring/structuring their
organization to be more self-sufficient so they can take their best next professional
step. While this is simply an
example to help you know what it looks like, here’s how to develop your own
“future you” mantra.

How to develop it?

As they say, “Begin with the end in mind.” To do that, I’d
like you to imagine the best of your professional self one-year from now. Let’s say you and I sit down to check
in on your progress toward your professional goals a year from today, and you’re
feeling absolutely delighted with where you are. For that to be true, let’s say you stand at the intersection
of three main roads, each needing a “mantra word.”

1. Doing what has purpose and heart for you: by one year
from now you are working on purpose – that is, doing what fires you up so that
you are happy and doing your best work most days. You are spending minimal time
doing what gets you down, stresses you out, or runs afoul of your values. Whether you are making the world a
better place, helping your team be their best, or simply putting food on your
table, your day-to-day work life satisfies and fulfills you because it’s in
sync with your sense of purpose.
What’s needed for this to be true, that’s different than it is today?
Develop one “mantra word” that will remind you day by day of that needed change
to be more in sync with what has purpose and heart for you.

2. Making your economics work: by one year from today you
are earning what you desire, and are able to organize your financial life accordingly
– both in terms of business results, and your own earnings. You are feeling good about where you
are financially, and not unduly concerned, worried or having doubts about money. What’s needed for this to be true,
that’s different than it is today? Develop a second “mantra word” that will
lead and remind you of the needed change to be on track toward the economics
you want.

3. Developing your capabilities: by one year from now you
are in a situation that’s allowing you either to grow new capabilities, or consolidating
your understanding of existing capabilities. Regardless, you are neither stagnant nor coasting in terms
of growing / developing yourself professionally. What’s needed for this to be
true, that’s different than it is today? Develop a final “mantra word” that
will lead and remind you of the needed change to develop your capabilities as
the professional you most want to be.

Put your three words together – they don’t need to rhyme (as
above), as long as the mantra is easily memorable to you. It can be ABC, 123, or something that makes
sense to you. And it doesn’t need to be carved in stone – in fact it’s best if
it evolves with what’s happening and changing in your world at work, so going
through this process annually is a healthy way to keep it fresh and relevant.

How to use it effectively

Aside from building and evolving it annually, your mantra
also needs to be used in a great way. Given the day-to-day demands of
leadership, how do we do that?

Let’s call where you are today “Point A” and the one-year
hence intersection of purpose, economics, and capabilities (with delight) “Point
B.”

Day to day, week to week, check in with yourself: are you
moving on a straight line from A to B? What needs to change for you to correct
your course, and move more directly from A to B? What do you need to start
doing, stop doing, or make sure you continue doing, to make a “B-Line” to Point
B?

Ask yourself which (if any) barriers stand in the way from A
to B, and what you can do to manage / remove them.

Finally, enlist the help you need to remain accountable to
your outcomes in these three areas.
Do you need a friend or colleague with whom to share your one-year
vision, and check in from time to time during the year?

So what?

I know the idea of having a “future you” mantra is a bit
unconventional. That said, it’s an
innovative and individualized way to make sure you attain the goals most
important to you, and to lead in the most effective way. I invite you to give it a try ...

Comments

How to Develop Your “Future You” Mantra

A leader’s own professional development often takes a back
seat to the immediate needs of their organization and team. Yet to end up at the best possible
version of yourself, or “future you,” a deliberate, doable commitment to
learning and development is needed.

It starts with clarity about where you are heading and why. In a noisy, work-swamped world, a
simple “mantra” serves as a GPS to help stay true to the best future you, one
that you are either steering toward, or away from, every day.

What’s in a mantra?

For example, imagine a three-word mantra like: “Inspiration,
Delegation, and Organization.” Let’s say that reminds a leader to continue: 1) inspiring
their team, because it’s a needed change and a fulfilling role for them, 2) delegating
more non-value-added work to enable them to maximize revenue and economics
(both P&L, and their own earnings), and 3) hiring/structuring their
organization to be more self-sufficient so they can take their best next professional
step. While this is simply an
example to help you know what it looks like, here’s how to develop your own
“future you” mantra.

How to develop it?

As they say, “Begin with the end in mind.” To do that, I’d
like you to imagine the best of your professional self one-year from now. Let’s say you and I sit down to check
in on your progress toward your professional goals a year from today, and you’re
feeling absolutely delighted with where you are. For that to be true, let’s say you stand at the intersection
of three main roads, each needing a “mantra word.”

1. Doing what has purpose and heart for you: by one year
from now you are working on purpose – that is, doing what fires you up so that
you are happy and doing your best work most days. You are spending minimal time
doing what gets you down, stresses you out, or runs afoul of your values. Whether you are making the world a
better place, helping your team be their best, or simply putting food on your
table, your day-to-day work life satisfies and fulfills you because it’s in
sync with your sense of purpose.
What’s needed for this to be true, that’s different than it is today?
Develop one “mantra word” that will remind you day by day of that needed change
to be more in sync with what has purpose and heart for you.

2. Making your economics work: by one year from today you
are earning what you desire, and are able to organize your financial life accordingly
– both in terms of business results, and your own earnings. You are feeling good about where you
are financially, and not unduly concerned, worried or having doubts about money. What’s needed for this to be true,
that’s different than it is today? Develop a second “mantra word” that will
lead and remind you of the needed change to be on track toward the economics
you want.

3. Developing your capabilities: by one year from now you
are in a situation that’s allowing you either to grow new capabilities, or consolidating
your understanding of existing capabilities. Regardless, you are neither stagnant nor coasting in terms
of growing / developing yourself professionally. What’s needed for this to be
true, that’s different than it is today? Develop a final “mantra word” that
will lead and remind you of the needed change to develop your capabilities as
the professional you most want to be.

Put your three words together – they don’t need to rhyme (as
above), as long as the mantra is easily memorable to you. It can be ABC, 123, or something that makes
sense to you. And it doesn’t need to be carved in stone – in fact it’s best if
it evolves with what’s happening and changing in your world at work, so going
through this process annually is a healthy way to keep it fresh and relevant.

How to use it effectively

Aside from building and evolving it annually, your mantra
also needs to be used in a great way. Given the day-to-day demands of
leadership, how do we do that?

Let’s call where you are today “Point A” and the one-year
hence intersection of purpose, economics, and capabilities (with delight) “Point
B.”

Day to day, week to week, check in with yourself: are you
moving on a straight line from A to B? What needs to change for you to correct
your course, and move more directly from A to B? What do you need to start
doing, stop doing, or make sure you continue doing, to make a “B-Line” to Point
B?

Ask yourself which (if any) barriers stand in the way from A
to B, and what you can do to manage / remove them.

Finally, enlist the help you need to remain accountable to
your outcomes in these three areas.
Do you need a friend or colleague with whom to share your one-year
vision, and check in from time to time during the year?

So what?

I know the idea of having a “future you” mantra is a bit
unconventional. That said, it’s an
innovative and individualized way to make sure you attain the goals most
important to you, and to lead in the most effective way. I invite you to give it a try ...